Robin Hull A

HULL RETIRES FROM SNOOKER

Robin Hull, the world No 54 from Finland, has decided to retire from professional snooker.

The 33-year-old was due to compete in the qualifying rounds of the 888.com World Snooker Championship at Prestatyn last week, but withdrew from the event and will not return to the pro circuit.

In 2003, Hull contracted a life-threatening super virus which affected his heart and lungs. He was forced to withdraw from a series of tournaments and did not win a snooker match for almost a year. Though Hull recovered from the virus, he has suffered recurring health problems.

Hull, who comes from Espoo near Helsinki but lived in London for much of his career, reached the quarter-finals of the 2003 Welsh Open and 2006 Malta Cup and held a best ranking of No 32 in 2003/04. His career included victories over the likes of John Higgins, Graeme Dott, Steve Davis and Neil Robertson.

Lee Doyle of Hull’s management company 110Sport said: "Robin dropped down the rankings when he missed tournaments because of the virus and has not been able to climb back up as he had hoped.

"His health continues to be affected by the travelling necessities and pressure of professional snooker, so he has decided to take an alternative career path. I’m sure everyone who knows Robin will join me in wishing him the best of luck."

A World Snooker spokesman added: "We would like to thank Robin for his contribution to snooker and wish him all the best for the future."